Branch Director - Menomonee Valley (Bilingual required)

Position Summary: As the Branch Director, you support the mission of the Urban Ecology Center by leveraging relevant and accessible environmental programming and activities and a welcoming branch experience to establish meaningful mission-based engagement with community members in the neighborhoods your branch serves.
You’ll lead the branch Neighborhood Engagement team, collaborate with department managers in program development, facilitate daily branch operations, and keep the organization informed of the work of the branch.
To engage fully and connect deeply with the nearby neighborhoods at this branch, you must be bilingual in English/Spanish.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES Mission-Based Community Engagement Manage the Neighborhood Engagement department staff at the branch.
Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with community members, community groups, government officials, government agencies, volunteers, and UEC members and supporters in the neighborhoods the branch serves.
Cultivate and maintain mission-based partnerships in the neighborhoods the branch serves.
Coordinate the offering and delivery of mission-relevant neighborhood engagement events for the branch.
Promote and facilitate the involvement of volunteers, UEC members, and UEC supporters in activities at the branch.
Serve as staff liaison to the UEC Branch Advisory Committee, including planning and hosting meetings.
Work in collaboration with UEC’s department managers to achieve organization-wide understanding, alignment, and support of engagement goals for the neighborhoods the branch serves.
Uphold a strong alignment to the organization-wide positive, ecologically-informed, approach to learning and living, serving as a mentor to staff, volunteers, members, supporters, and other community members.
Welcoming Branch Experience Manage the welcome desk schedule for the branch.
Ensure that all members, volunteers, and other guests experience a radical welcome at the branch.
Provide on-site leadership to facilitate and guide daily operations of the branch in coordination with UEC’s department managers.
Determine open and close hours for the branch, including regular hours, holiday schedules, emergency closings, and all associated communications.
Collaborate in the development of and enforce all policies and procedures for employees, volunteers, and visitors at the branch, including safety policies and procedures, in coordination with UEC’s department managers.
Collaborate with UEC’s other Branch Directors to ensure consistency in the UEC branch experience.
Collaborative Leadership on Public Engagement Strategy through Programs and Events Work in collaboration with the departments offering public programs and activities to ensure the branch neighborhood voice is reflected and programs, activities, and events are relevant and accessible to local community members.
Work in collaboration with UEC’s department managers to coordinate, promote, and support program offerings in the neighborhoods the branch serves and to help ensure those offerings meet their goals.
Deliver branch events that advance UEC’s mission and strategy working in collaboration with community partners and with the support of UEC staff.
Promote and support the use of UEC’s program and event management system and the implementation of UEC’s impact evaluation protocols.
General Management and Support Lead the planning, convening, and facilitation of Branch-specific goals, including coordination and follow-up of regular meetings with staff and department managers.
Collaborate with department managers to guide the development of branch-related goals including goals regarding programs and other public offerings, member and volunteer engagement, facility planning, land stewardship, information technology planning, facility rentals, marketing, and fund development.
Cooperate in the work to achieve those goals.
In collaboration with the UEC’s other Branch Directors, and with the guidance of the Finance Department, develop and meet the budget for the Neighborhood Engagement department.
Provide regular reports and communication of branch activities to the Leadership Circle, UEC staff, UEC Board, and community members.
Maintain a welcoming, engaging office environment for a mobile staff population, including management of office/desk assignments.
Ensure staff safety through implementation of the coverage schedule.
Document and submit any branch-specific procedures to the Managing Director and Director of People & Culture, and to any department manager whose department is affected by the procedures.
Organizational Leadership As a member of UEC’s Leadership Circle, attend and actively contribute to weekly Leadership Circle meetings to inform and advise on organizational strategy; attend and actively contribute to weekly topic-focused meetings (1 hour) when relevant and necessary.
Attend bi-monthly UEC Board of Directors meetings; when relevant, attend UEC Board Executive Committee meetings on a monthly basis.
As a senior leader of the organization, represent UEC’s mission, vision, and values with advanced competency in leading toward a strategic plan.
TEAM AND SUPERVISION You are a member of the Leadership Circle and will manage the Neighborhood Engagement Coordinator.
Though all of our teams work together in some capacity, you will most frequently collaborate with the Leadership Circle and department managers.
In this role, you will serve on the Leadership Circle and Safety Committee and may have the opportunity to join others as your schedule and interests allow.
All UEC team members should expect interaction with volunteers, members, and youth participants.
ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT All team members of the Urban Ecology Center work a minimum of 1-2 weekend or evening events each year; leadership circle members may be asked to attend more than 2 events.
Our events are a great way to engage with our communities and see our mission in action; examples include Urban Candlelight Hike, Autumn Celebration, and HKE MKE.
Some roles may have increased responsibility for event leadership.
All team members are asked to support our building hours by providing building coverage, which may include opening/closing the building, communicating with staff on-site, and welcoming visitors or guests.
You may sign-up for an ongoing shift or provide backup support.
OUR EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE We nurture an inclusive, supportive, and collaborative workplace culture.
Many of our staff serve on cross-departmental committees for internal and external events, employee engagement, our equity, dignity, and justice (EDJ) focus, and safety initiatives, to name a few.
We host a 2-day all-staff retreat each fall, with quarterly all-staff meetings, regular department meetings, and ongoing communication in-between.
We make frequent use of Slack and utilize the Google platform for email and cloud computing.
UEC staff work on-site a minimum of twice per week at one of our 3 branches, though many choose to work in person more frequently.
Several of our roles do not have remote capabilities by the nature of their responsibilities.
UEC staff are automatically members of the Urban Ecology Center with the ability to attend all events at a low or no cost.
Children of staff members attend programming, including summer camps, at reduced rates.
Full-time staff at the Urban Ecology Center are offered very competitive medical, dental, and vision insurance rates, a 3% 403(b) matching contribution, 24 days of PTO in year 1 (29 in year 2), 4 additional paid holidays, a UEC membership, and other great benefits.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES Skills and Abilities Bilingual in English and Spanish is required.
(professional working proficiency, at minimum) Effective Coach: you lead your staff by assigning objectives over tasks and encouraging staff development to meet individual and organizational goals.
Collaborative Leadership: you collaborate and share responsibilities with peers while providing guidance on organizational processes.
Relationship Development: you identify and initiate working relationships and develop and maintain them in a way that is of mutual benefit to both yourself and others.
Effective Communicator: you articulate thoughts and express ideas effectively using oral, written, visual, and non-verbal communication skills.
You listen to gain understanding.
You effectively deliver information in person, in writing, and in a digital world.
Operational Excellence: you are committed to continuous improvement.
You develop, follow, and lead standardized processes to ensure quality and consistency across the organization.
Conflict Management: you navigate interpersonal challenges with a high degree of empathy and a commitment to resolution.
Project Management/Leadership: you turn ideas into action, setting priorities and deadlines while holding others accountable.
You are a critical thinker and problem solver.
Reliability and Agency: you build trust and exercise good judgment by meeting deadlines, delivering on commitments, prioritizing needs, and making considered and effective decisions.
Efficient: you have strong attention to detail, are self-motivated, and are able to multitask.
You prioritize your work based on importance and urgency.
You demonstrate strong cultural competency and are committed to equity, dignity, and justice.
Affinity to and ability to model the Urban Ecology Center's mission, vision, and values.
Experience, Education, and Certifications 5 years of experience managing people (staff) is required; experience in a collaborative, team-based setting is recommended.
5 years working in a community-focused or non-profit organization is required; a focus on community outreach or customer service is recommended.
A background in event coordination, experience design, program development or relevant work is recommended.
A Bachelor’s degree in a related field (such as natural resources, community development, environmental education, non-profit management) is preferred, with some advanced degree work recommended.
First Aid/CPR Certification is required.
You must have a valid driver’s license and the ability to meet the requirements of insurability under Urban Ecology Center’s commercial vehicle insurance policy.
WORKING CONDITIONS, LOCATION, AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS Condition & Location: Open office workspace with an active team atmosphere.
Using shared workspaces at all three UEC locations.
You will be based out of 1 of 3 Urban Ecology Center branches, but travel between locations on occasion.
Physical Requirements: Sitting for prolonged periods, typing on a computer keyboard, lifting objects of 25 pounds or less.
Equipment Used: Computer equipment, CRM software, Google software.
Schedule: Standard business hours between 8a - 6p with occasional evening and weekend events (4-6x/month); on call for building emergencies and weekend support.
The Urban Ecology Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
It is our policy to make all personnel decisions without discriminating on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex, physical disability, mental disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, national or ethnic origin, and any other protected status.